Experiencing the Beauty and Culture of Antigua

I’ve set a goal to visit every Caribbean island before I turn 35. So far, I’ve visited nine so I’m well on my way. Most recently, I visited the beautiful island of Antigua. This small island with a population of just under 100,000 has 365 beaches. That’s a beach for every day of the year. Antigua is only 14 miles long and 11 miles wide and is one of the Caribbean's most prosperous nations thanks to tourism.

I stayed at the Royalton Resort during my visit, and it did not disappoint. The resort is small and intimate but beautiful. It also features overwater bungalows, a rare find in the Caribbean. They are breathtaking, and I’m glad I had a chance to see them up close. I also took a tour of the island, visiting a few historic sites — Devils Bridge (It's said to be a place where enslaved Africans would go to commit suicide in a final effort to escape the horrors of slavery), Betty’s Hope (the first large-scale sugar plantation to operate in Antigua), Mt. Obama and Nelson's Dockyard. This small island is full of so much culture. This trip was an excellent opportunity for me to experience the island for myself so that I can now recommend it to my clients from firsthand experience.

About the Author

Brittany Shuford is the owner of Darling Destinations LLC, based in Alabama. An advisor for five years, Shuford has ranked as a top three agent (out of 70,000) at her host agency, InteleTravel, for the last two years. Shuford primarily sells all-inclusive hotel vacations in Mexico and the Caribbean (mostly Jamaica) and is a top supplier with American Airlines Vacations, AMR Collection and Vacation Express. About half of her clientele are traveling abroad for the first time. She was recently recognized as one of Travel Age West’s “Five Future Leaders to Watch.”